CUC

[rob1976]

Hi
Just wondering do you really have to have any CUC in a tank? Couldn’t you just have fish do the work?

 

[TX_REEF]

Hi
Just wondering do you really have to have any CUC in a tank? Couldn’t you just have fish do the work?

you don't need one, but it will help with microalgae, sand stirring and detritus.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I would not run a tank without them. Except for the snails, I actually get just as much joy out of my clean up crew as my fish.

 

[EricR]

Hi
Just wondering do you really have to have any CUC in a tank? Couldn’t you just have fish do the work?

Fish kinda are CUC,,, depending on what you're hoping to deal with and which fish.
...so my official answer is, "sort of"

 

[shakacuz]

they're a necessity, tbh. provides you with less maintenance.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Inverts just do a much better job at reaching certain areas, and many will eat things that fish won’t. Additionally, they don’t produce nearly as much waste as fish making them much more efficient as cleaners. You also don’t have to worry as much about aggression issues (the way you do with fish).
Lastly, some fish that would be great cleaners (algae eaters like tanks and foxfaces) won’t do well in smaller tanks, so you need inverts to do that job.